tales_of_lorefandomcom-20200214-history
Kral
The Kral, known to most outsiders as the Lizardfolk, are an ancient race of reptilian bipeds with a proficiency for craftsmanship and storytelling. Their status greatly diminished from its fabled heights at the beginning of recorded history, they now hold a reputation as crafty but aimless outsiders who keep mostly to their own kind in small, remote settlements, or else as violent marauders who pillage the wilderness and countrysides across the eastern continent. What would you know? The average person would know that Lizardfolk are dangerous, nomadic bipeds who often live or travel in groups. Most knowledge would pertain to rumour and here-say about the alleged depravity of the barbarian war bands and their bloodthirsty crusade of violence against the innocent townsfolk of the countryside. Few people in urban locations or on the western continent would ever have seen a Lizardfolk, but if they had, the circumstances would likely have been less than friendly - perhaps a chance encounter in the woods, or a prisoner/circus freak dragged through the streets. Some Lizardfolk subsist in the criminal underworlds of more major cities as thugs and enforcers, but even here they face distrust and discrimination. Many people would also be aware of vague associations between the Lizardfolk and the large swamplands below the jungle. The well-educated, especially scholars and researchers of history, might have more sympathy for Lizardfolk on the basis of their ancient cultural demise - but even here are plenty of rumours about the obscene cruelty of the Kralic Empire which diminish any possible sympathy which might be held for these creatures. Appearance The Kral are best described as bipedal monitor lizards, save for their toothy maws and sturdier build. Their forelimbs are well designed for manipulating tools or weapons, but the claws themselves can serve as either, as well. The Kral move naturally with a hunched back; to rear up straight would usually be considered a challenge or a display of strength and victory. Their tail sways just above the ground, but in battle it, too, can serve as a weapon of sorts. Traits Kral are neither dull nor cruel, despite their reputation, but they live in a culture that relies on storytelling far more than rationality. The Kral are defined by the reign and collapse of their empire. This is a rallying point for some, an urging to regain their former glory and to take back what was once theirs, or to simply embrace a vengeful spirit and use this as the purpose of their lives. To others, this is a point of misery and despair which guides their lives through mundane, resigned traditions and practices. The Kral are a species well versed in physical craftsmanship of all sorts, which would serve them well as engineers, artisans, blacksmiths, and even warriors of various sorts. However, they are also experts in the craft of stories and the retelling of histories - the memory of a Kral does not dull even as they reach the upper limits of their often 150 year life, but the collective memory of a community is much longer than this, as every ancient story is retold to each new generation. This could lead many Kral to lives as playwrights, historians, and scholars. What prevents most Kral from obtaining any of these positions is the state of their society and the seclusion they enjoy from all others. There is no place in the simple Kral lifestyle for most art or craftsmanship - it is often a difficult and single-purposed life where survival is the best that can be hoped for. Cultures * The Swamp Villages - Small villages of poor materials and hasty workmanship in the mostly inhospitable swamps of the eastern continent. * The War Bands - Nomadic packs of Kralic warriors driven by an ancient oath of revenge against the races who toppled their empire, massacred their people, and destroyed their standing and reputation in the world. * Utoras - An ancient and secluded desert fortress which is home to an isolated group of Kral, attempting to reestablish their former civilization without the interference of the outside world. * The Kralic Empire - Once the undisputed masters of the continent, this ancient empire, which united the race and gave it one name, expanded from the western desert to the north-eastern jungle. The ruins of their civilization still serve as untouched relics, or the foundations upon which new settlements or occult religions are built.